The Encyclopedia of Interactive Performance

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Questions need answers. If you can’t come up with an answer, it limits the ways in which you can serve the spect and the story. Here are some ways to make answering questions easier.

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addressing a need before it is articulated

One of the most magical ways to make spects feel like you’re on the same page is to do a form of advance follow, giving spects what they need before they even have the opportunity to ask.

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Questions can be helpful or problematic, depending on how you use them. Before we explore how questions can be useful, let’s consider the issues they sometimes create.

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thinking of something related to something else

If you hear the word “birthday,” what do you think of? Birthday cakes? Parties? Presents? Getting old? Whatever you think of, those are associations.

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getting spects to do things without instructing them

A long time ago I was a ballroom dancer with my sister. When we danced, people were always impressed. To be honest, I wasn’t very good. My sister, though, was brilliant. Not only could she follow, she could backlead.

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Whoopee cushions are great. It’s fun to see people change when they sit down and the sound of a big juicy fart cuts loose. There’s something enjoyable about seeing people be altered. That’s also true in interactive performance. When spects realize that they can make you change, it makes them happy.

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Let things impact you. Be emotionally affected by what others say and do. Respond immediately. There’s no need to stop and think. Release an emotional impulse. Your responses may be large or subtle, but they should always be present. Other players feel a sense of agency when their offers have an obvious impact on you.

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Allow spects to change your mind. Whatever causes the change becomes a reflection of one of your character’s priorities.

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Encyclopedia of Interactive Performance